They Don’t Call it Iceland for Nothing

It’s not like you have to ride polar bears to work in the morning (though that would be freakin awesome), but Iceland is pretty darn cold. When I went to the Nordic Barista Cup in Iceland in 2004, I was actually kind of surprised that it wasn’t colder, but that’s because I had braced myself for arctic deep freeze. I was looking at the weather forecasts for Reykjavik, where the 2009 Nordic Barista Cup will take place in just a few weeks (!!!) September 16–19, and it is—brrrrrr—in the high 40s and low 50s. (C’mon, gimme a break. I’m from California.)

OK, so there probably won't be snow on the rooftops in Reykjavik, as seen in this photo, but it will be cold!

So it’s a good thing that the organizers, Bjorg Brend and Jens Norgaard, have developed a partnership between the Nordic Barista Cup and Farmers Market, a totally hip company in Reykjavik that specializes in sweaters made with the famed Icelandic wool. During the Nordic Barista Cup, attendees can buy a super awesome sweater with an exclusive Nordic Barista Cup tag sewn on by Farmers Market. Plus, the sweaters will be available for the discounted price of 55 Euros (or about $78). That’s a steal for a really high quality Icelandic wool sweater, by the way.

This is the one I'm going to get!

It’s just another reason to book your ticket to Iceland now and be a part of the Nordic Barista Cup 2009! Not only will we be taking over the streets of Reykjavik as a gang of fashionably clad Icelandic wool sweater wearing coffee lovers, but we’ll also be heading to the countryside where we will stay in tricked out huts in the wilderness, each complete with a hot tub! And the famous Coffee Jeopardy game that always takes place at the Nordic Barista Cup will this year be held during a pool party! Cripes, this is going to be fun!

About the Author

Sarah Allen is co-founder and editor of Barista Magazine, the international trade magazine for coffee professionals. A passionate advocate for baristas, quality, and the coffee community, Sarah has traveled widely to research stories, interact with readers, and present on a variety of topics affecting specialty coffee. She also loves animals, swimming, ice cream, and living in Portland, Oregon.